How does Sycamore differ from other evangelisation programmes?

There are so many wonderful programmes and courses available from groups such as Word on Fire, CaFE, Ascension, Evangelium, Alpha, Augustine Institute, the Catholic Truth Society, Oremus, Spirit Juice, Grassroots, Nua, the Association for Catechumenal Ministry, etc. There is lots of overlap in content, methodology and style between Sycamore and many of these programmes: it’s inevitable when the common aim is to share the heart of the Christian faith.

Having said that, Sycamore has a certain style or approach. It’s a comprehensive programme that allows you to cover all four “pillars” of the Catechism (faith, sacraments, moral teaching and prayer); it moves from the core Christian message (the “kerygma”) to systematic Christian teaching (“catechesis”); there are multiple pathways available for the different needs of different groups;the focus is on open discussion – with the discussion questions provided on screen; and it draws on the experiences and stories of British Catholic culture to give a distinctive flavour.

Once we have chosen a pathway, do we need to show all the films recommended?

No, not necessarily. Each pathway or selection of films has been carefully chosen to provide a complete and comprehensive set of resources for each course. However, Sycamore is flexible enough to work with the needs and requirements of each group. You may wish to intersperse Sycamore videos with your current programme, show a selection of films from the recommended course, or allow people to watch some of the films in their own time and come together for discussion. Sycamore can be easily tailored to fit your needs and that of your group and community.

Can we run more than one Sycamore course at one time?

Absolutely, depending on the needs of your parish, school or community. You could plan to implement more than one course at a time. For example, you could be running a 6-week ‘How to Pray’ renewal course for parishioners, as well as a 10-week RCIA programme, in addition to preparing parents for Infant baptism. If you have enough leaders and different teams, the possibilities are endless.

Is Sycamore suitable to use with young people?

Yes, in fact Sycamore has been designed to be run in schools or parish groups for young people. We recommend Sycamore for Key Stage 4 in the UK (ages 14-16) and Key Stage 5 (ages 16-18). It may be appropriate for some Year 9 classes (ages 13-14) but probably not below. Sycamore has been found to encourage and foster student leadership. Whether in school or as part of a Confirmation programme, the ideal is to train young people to become Sycamore leaders, equipping them with core, transferrable skills for the future. See here https://www.sycamore.fm/pathways/ sycamore-for-schools/

Which platform should we use for running sessions online?

There are many different video conferencing platforms and apps available. Some of the common platforms include: Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Hangouts, WebEx, GoToMeeting, Microsoft Teams, Whereby, as well as the new video conferencing options in Facebook (Messenger Rooms), WhatsApp, etc. Sycamore does not recommend or endorse any particular platform. Our main advice is: keep it simple. Don’t try to find the perfect solution. Find something that works. It needs to be something that is easy to explain to people in your group. Many parishioners are unfamiliar with video conferencing so ease of use is a big requirement, otherwise it will put them off. Click here for more advice on the platform which is right for you: https://www. sycamore.fm/remote/which-platform/